New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-19
A coRoNER,s VERDICT AT WASHINGTON.

TWO BRAKEMEN and CHEAP BRAkES-RAiLkoAD
| OFFICIALS DISSATISFIED But FRIGHTENED
IBr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE,
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1S.-Here Is the verdict OF the
coroner's jury in the of tho Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad en- gneer who was Killed IN the socaieu ac-
cident" yesterday morning:
That the said IL Brosns came 10 ms DEAN aoGay
August H. 1851 near he corner OF s and re-
ceyed in accident 10 me enprss o IRAN %i nrV be-
accident and ethsr that have occurred At s
due to the very rapid rate o. pesa rSnndns the
curvc which the company must know to be dangerous
point.
probably true as Coroner Patterson said tonight
that the of railroad company who was
the most active at the inquest was greatly dlssats
fed by this verdict which will be regarded with almost
little favor by the people of Washington as IL by 'he
company the eleven witnesses examined all except
two are employees railroad company and they tes
tilted presence OF the legal representatives OF their
employers One OF the witnesses who Is not employed
by the company. testified thai he heard the distress
whistle blowing before the engine entered the city lie
then heard the engine blowing for the d" when tue
train passed the witness going at the rate OF hy
or sixty miles an hour when the train struck the
the cars were thrown there the train
at trying stop IL he saw them at
the brakes the platform train hands even down
TO the porers OF the sleeping cars The witness sad ne
had reported five trains last week for coming IN there nj
the rate of forty or fifty miles hour zHe did not think
that an effort was made stop the train until after 1t
crossed at From the time he first heard the danger
whistle the train had aud half miles In which to
slacken It's speed he heard the whistle seven times lie
said he calculated the great speed from the fact
tha, he could not distinguish the number the engine
or the names the rs they passed him. ,
Fireman james W. smith. who lies az Pfoyldeaco
Hospital in a badly injured condition. made ITO follow
ing statement resarding the accident:
reached Queenstown one mile and hat from
Mash1 stS1 al right me a ar efay Ne t oHeeSston
about ten minutes late ana hins IN. my %
noticed the train taking sudden Jump ana hen oGgsn 20
Would not WORK and could tell by ii. face that
tie train nor even slow up tod him would Try and
Kept from walking over the car The force Of shs
not hold my feet compelled 70 almost
nSE ss nD Cd to ny % Ea n
at HI. post doing his best to ,asEe2 the tS ras nT 'G
that The Train wS soSE ne Vas say
l never went so fast In my lie.
The conductor of the testified that there were
two brakeman. OF whom acted as baggage master
Two brakemen for fast passenger train
And yet this remarkable coroners uqneI did not result
verdict censuring the management which IA re-
sponsibe for this railroad murder That the railroad off,
Gals fully appreciate the gravity OF their situation sshown
by the til they readily agreed not TO use the
for ger trains hereafter.
The Critic says:
the scsDs Of the disaster this morning they held
GeDer Manager W. NJ Clements and the attorney Tor tue
road general elegraphed at New OK 70
be The question Of removing tue
Y" was discussed for than hour and halt Inc
railroad willing the Commissioners would give
them little abandon the use OF the for passed
ger and only for freight trains when
they say. will four times day. Before making TINS
change will have make changes in tho arrange
OF their tracks.
Now as TO air brake theory of the accident II
appears company has been indulgng In expert
me ns with cheap brakes which have proved mad
equate in many instances aud relying on these brakes the
useless In cases OF emergency.
The Star tonight editorally says:
The accident yesterday probably cost tho Baltimore
OHIO Railroad less than 1000 The cheap brakes
by the road decidedly not IN
Hs of when they become principal cause OF
the necessary expenditure OF 90 large amount
The cheap brakes only costly, but criminal
ONO invest too quickly IN better
brakes.